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Italy pushes crackdown on migrants reaching its shores

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italy’s right-wing government pressed ahead with plans to crack down on migrants as they arrived by the hundreds on Monday at a Sicilian port after a Coast Guard rescue. Dozens more were taken on board a charity boat from an unseaworthy vessel operated by smugglers, while others came ashore unaided.This week, the Senate is due to take up proposed legislation put forward by the government of far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni that aims to make it harder for migrants to gain temporary permission to stay in Italy.Coalition ally Matteo Salvini, who leads the anti-migrant League party, wants the country to eliminate a status known as “special protection” for many of the tens of thousands of migrants who have come ashore in Italy for years now aboard smugglers’ boats launched from Libya, Tunisia, Turkey and other places. That status allows migrants who are unlikely to win refugee status to stay in Italy for two years, pending renewal. During this time, they can work ...

Senegal musician Maal named UN ambassador on desertification

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Senegalese singer-songwriter Baaba Maal on Monday was named a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Covention to Combat Desertification.Maal has long been an activist on climate change and refugees. Since 2003, he has been committed to various development challenges in Africa, working with different U.N. family organizations.His NANN-K Trust recently opened a solar-powered irrigation project in Senegal to fight desertification, which is one of the main drivers of people leaving the country on dangerous migration routes. The project will train people to start similar projects in their own communities. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Maal said he is a believer in putting power in the hands of young people and women.“We are tackling climate change impact, but also fighting desertification on the African continent, especially in my region where we are just not far away from the desert and we see it coming to us,” he said. “And it had an impact because peo...

Alves tells judge he had consensual sex with alleged victim

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Dani Alves testified in court on Monday and told the judge investigating a sexual assault accusation against him that he had consensual sex with the alleged victim.Alves has been in jail since Jan. 20 after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona on Dec. 30. The Brazilian soccer player has denied wrongdoing.Alves had initially said he hadn’t had sex with the woman but eventually changed his version. He said he was trying to save his marriage by not admitting to the sexual encounter at first. The player reportedly told the judge that there was a mutual sexual attraction between him and the woman from the time they met at the nightclub.The court had denied Alves’ request to be freed on bail while the investigation continues, saying he was a flight risk. A trial has not been set.The victim’s lawyer, Ester García, said Monday she expected Alves to remain jailed during the investigation. Alves’ lawyer, Cristóbal M...

2-year-old girl in serious condition after South Side car crash

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Multiple people were injured, including a 2-year-old girl, in a car crash on the South Side Sunday night.According to police, two vehicles collided at the intersection of the 51st and Champlain Avenue when a sedan travelling eastbound on 51st street attempted to turn on Champlain but failed to yield and struck another vehicle. The sedan was occupied by a 56-year-old driver and a 25-year-old passenger. Both individuals were not injured and refused EMS, police said. 2 teens shot in the Loop during large disturbance The vehicle that was struck was had a 20-year-old female driver who sustained minor injuries and an 18-year-old female passenger who sustained injuries to the face. Both were transported to a hospital in fair condition. A 2-year-old girl who was also a passenger in the car sustained trauma to the body and was transported to Comers Hospital in serious condition. Citations are pending and police are still investigating the incident.

200 Chicago-area moms join march to ban assault weapons in D.C.

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

CHICAGO — For one of the Highland Park survivors, Ashley Beasley, this will be her thirteen time to lobby for an assault weapons ban.The 'Save Our Students' march is set to take place Monday in Washington D.C. with about 200 Chicago-area moms joining 1,000 participants. The marchers plan to visit congressmen and senators to lobby for their support and Congress returns from recess.They will begin on the National Mall Lake and make their way to the Capitol. 2 teens shot in the Loop during large disturbance 'March Fourth,' an organization founded by a Winnetka mom is leading the event. "What we're asking for isn't hard and it's not complicated. Surviving a mass shooting is hard, banning assault weapons is not hard," Kitty Brandtner, the founder of "March Fourth" said.Joining Brandtner in the march is Higland Park survivor, Lindsey Hartmann and her husband who threw themselves on their daughter when people next to them were shot during the parade. Seven people were killed when a...

Monday Forecast: Snow/rain showers with high winds

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

Monday: A week ago, we had a high of 71 and today, the area will see a high of 30. Cloudy, scattered snow and rain/snow will be the order of the day. High winds of 20-25 mph and gusts of 40 mph are expected. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Monday night is set to be mostly cloudy with decreasing clouds late but still windy, WNW 15-25. Low: 36Full forecast details at the WGN Weather CenterTuesday the sun returns. Mostly sunny, northwest winds 10-15 with 20 mph gusts. High: 54

Shooting of Kansas teen who went to wrong house investigated

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The investigation into the shooting by a homeowner of a Black teenager who went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers includes questions about whether it was racially motivated, authorities in Kansas City said.Police are quickly preparing evidence for prosecutors in Thursday's shooting, Chief Stacey Graves said Sunday at a news conference at police headquarters.“I want everyone to know that I am listening,” Graves said, “and I understand the concern we are receiving from the community.” The Kansas City Star reported the 16-year-old, whom family members have identified online as Ralph Yarl, was hospitalized Thursday night after he was shot while trying to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend's house. Police said he went to the wrong house and was shot there. Officials would not confirm the number of times the homeowner shot the victim or where his injuries were. Police initially said Yarl was stable but had a life-threatening injury. Hi...

Hilary Knight’s hat trick leads to gold, USA tops Canada 6-3

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

BRAMPTON, Ontario (AP) — For all the focus on the United States’ young and retooled roster, it was who else but Hilary Knight — the team’s most experienced and accomplished star — who played a pivotal role in securing her nation's 10th women’s world hockey championships gold medal and first in four years.The 33-year-old Knight scored three times, including the go-ahead goal with 3:10 left in regulation, in a 6-3 win over Canada, and on their cross-border rival’s home soil in suburban Toronto on Sunday.Apologizing for her voice being hoarse from a celebration that featured the Americans singing a rousing rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Knight broke into a smile and said, “Yeah, it’s been a while.”The Americans overcame three one-goal deficits and the sting of losing the past three gold-medal meetings against Canada — the past two world championships and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games — to reclaim gold for the first time since a 2-1 shootout win over Finland in 2019. “It’s har...

David's Bridal files for bankruptcy

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

(WPHL) - David's Bridal has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the Wall Street Journal. This comes just days after David's Bridal, one of the largest sellers of wedding gowns in the United States, planned to cut at least 9,000 positions across the United States. On Friday, David’s Bridal outlined what’s ahead in a notice about the layoffs sent to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. A notice was also filed in Pennsylvania.“At this time, it is uncertain whether the Company will be ceasing operations entirely or the closure will be limited to certain locations,” the company said in the notice. David’s Bridal warns it could shut down, lay off more than 9,000 The retailer, based in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, employs over 11,000 employees. Although the company is looking to sell the business, stores will remain open and brides will be able to purchase dresses without any disruptions. David's Bridal previously filed for bankruptcy in 2018 but was able to get ou...

How an Austin-based nonprofit is providing Texans access to nutritious food

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Steven Johnson is the garden coordinator with Green Corn Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Texans attain access to nutritious, affordable food while also providing an education along the way. "Our mission is to help low income communities, individuals and communities at large, grow food for themselves that don't have access to that food," Johnson said.Their way of doing this is by planting gardening beds. Their planned and scheduled events are called "dig-ins". These events are made possible with the help of participating volunteers taking a few hours out of their day during the weekends in the spring and fall to help plant on-site of a recipient in need."Not everybody can afford to buy it. Not everybody has the knowledge on how to grow food for themselves. So we provide that financial, the equipment needed for gardens, as well as the education for people to grow their own healthy food," Johnson said.Johnson added that the education for gardening is not ...